Biography

Portuguese violinist Nuno Carapina started his musical training at the local conservatoire in his home town of Aveiro. When he was 18, he moved to Lisbon to attend the Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra, graduating with a top mark. In 2010, Nuno enrolled in the Royal Academy of Music’s MA program, studying under Erich Gruenberg.

During his time at the Academy, Nuno was a member of the elite Sainsbury Royal Academy Soloists with whom he went on tour to South Korea, playing at the Seoul Arts Centre under the direction of Jack Liebeck. He also led the second violins of the Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis. Nuno was selected to participate in a joint project with the Juilliard School to perform concerts at both the Lincoln Centre in New York City and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

Nuno has participated in numerous masterclasses with the likes of Thomas Brandis and Daniel Rowland. He was also selected to play for Maxim Vengerov in a public masterclass in the Duke’s Hall.

An enthusiastic chamber musician, Nuno is a member of the Pythagoras Ensemble with whom he has performed at St Martins-in-the-Field. He is also a founding member of the Carapina Trio, which recently performed a recital at the British Museum. Nuno is an experienced orchestral player, performing regularly with the Portuguese Chamber Orchestra. He turned down an offer to lead the Orquestra das Beiras in Portugal to take his place in London’s Southbank Sinfonia.

Education

Royal Academy of Music
London, UK

Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra
Lisbon, Portugal

Quickfire Questions

What’s on your playlist right now?
I like to change my playlist all the time. At the moment I’m listening to a Canadian prog rock band called Protest the Hero, the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros and the American rock band Dream Theater. I alternate that with Viktoria Mullova’s Bach Sonatas and Partitas and some Mozart Violin Concertos recorded by the Australian Chamber Orchestra. It seems complicated, but it’s a lovely combination.

What is your most embarrassing or amusing musical moment?
When the Academy Concert Orchestra performed under Sir Simon Rattle, I forgot my dress shoes at home. I had to do the performance without shoes – just wearing my black socks. It definitely made it an even more memorable experience!